Three weeks ago I brought my car in for a Service B, new front brake pads and rotors, new rear pads, and a full interior/exterior detail.

They had the car for two days and when I picked it up, on the way home the car started to shake, I guess rough idle a bit, when I was waiting at a red light. It went away when I started moving but it has done it ever since. I would say it does it about once during every trip in the car.

I brought the car in last week, they couldn't find anything of course. So I said I would bring it back one day when I had the time to go for a drive with the foreman and try to show him what I meant.

Last night I checked the oil (digitally since mine is a 2005) and it said "Reduce Engine Oil."

My question is 1) could this overfill cause the rough idle and 2) what should I have the dealer do when I go back. What kind (if any) of damage could this have caused in three weeks, should I insist on an inspection or something else? Obviously I want it documented on the repair order in case there is trouble in the future.

Also, not as important, but they also did not put back the brake lines or hoses (I'm not sure what this is called) into their little clips/holders. I only know this because I was at a MB Club event last week where we looked at some cars on the lift and more than one person noticed this when mine was up there. The dealer also filled the washer fluid when I told them not to (because I am using RainX fluid) and also rotated the tires (I said not to because they were brand new as of the previous week). I realize these last few things are minor, but now they really **** me off because combined with the oil and the rough idle I feel like they did a crappy, careless job with an idiot tech.

 

 

My dealer routinely overfills the oil. My mechanic said he put in a little extra so it wouldn't get low over 10-12,000 miles. I get a big red warning about 30 minutes into the trip for the first few months after a dealer oil change. I've since done them myself and haven't had the same issue. Unless he's drastically overfilled yours, it's probably not a problem.

I used to have a 240 and it would rough idle all the time in a parking lot at slow speeds or approaching a stop sign. I never figured out what the problem was, but it felt like something to do with the fuel delivery system.

 

Yeah I'm not sure what to think. I spoke with my dad a little while ago who said that if he put a lot in, it could be getting in the heads and burning off with gas which could cause the roughness and shaking.

I'm not sure what to think, I'm really pissed though that they can't do anything right ever.

I'm calling first thing tomorrow and I'll post the result here.

By the way this is Mercedes-Benz of Morristown in NJ.

 

It really sucks that the car does not have a dipstick by which you could check to see if your oil was frothing. Any bubbling in the oil would indicate that the oil level was too and it is being churned by the crankshaft. This churing will lead to a foaming/froth that has very little lubrication ability. That would lead to a seized engine.

Tell them how pissed you are, and to immediately show you the oil that they remove from the pan. If there is ANY foaming, GO BALLISTIC!

E

 

Thanks for the advice. I'm far from a pro at this, so I would just be looking for bubbling or foaming oil?

Thanks for the help, I'm really disgusted by all this.

What do you guys think is a fair amount of $$ to ask for back from the service? I do not want a free or discount on a future service because I am probably selling this car before I need to service it again. I paid about $300 for the Service B and with everything else (brakes and detail) the total came to about $1200 and then they gave me a 10% discount for being in the MB Club.

 

I don't think they'll give you any money back. But do let us know.

E

 

You're right they probably won't, but I feel like having to come back to the dealership twice for their mistake is worth something.

 

Idiot techs? Yes.

Which is the reason I DIY.
I don't trust the shop minkeys.
The hourly rate is off the hook, and that wouldn't be so bad, but they
don't even care about that, go by book rates for simple jobs, and
end up charging you 300-500 an hour at times.

You can do a better job yourself and for less money.
Those guys are always under gun to produce, and they cut corners.
Doing easy stuff yourself like oil and brake pads, you can take it slow and do it right, and have a cold one while you're at it, and get a good look under the hood, which everyone should do once in a while, just look things over.
Don't know how to do anything? Start learning!
Or the cycle will continue.
DIY your B service, pads and rotors, would cost about 400-500 DIY and take a couple hours. And you likely would have found the rear brakes didn't need replacing.